Material reclaimer

ABSTRACT

A self-propelled reclaimer for moving material from a stockpile. The reclaimer has a sloper for removing material from the face of the pile and a bucket wheel for removing material from in front and to the side of the reclaimer and a common conveyor receiving both streams of material. The sloper is carried by a tiltable boom which carries means for directing material which avoids the conveyor to a second means carried by the reclaimer which directs the material to the bucket wheel. The sloper is angled so that the top thereof leads the conveyor. The conveyor extends to the face of the stockpile and has a projecting edge associated therewith to seal into the stockpile. The second means also contours the slope of the stockpile below the sloper.

United States Patent 1 Smith 1 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] MATERIAL RECLAIMER Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza [72] Inventor. Fred T. Smith, Aurora, lll. Assistant Examiner Frank E. Werner [73] Assignee: Barber-Greene Company, Aurora, [IL AttorneyHill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [22] Filed: Jan. 19,1971 ,[57] ABSTRACT [211 Appl. No.: 107,652

Related us. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 718,466, Apr. 3; 1968, Pat. No. 3,595,371.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS l/l938 Jacobs ..37/l90 A self-propelled reclaimer for moving material from a stockpile. The reclaimer has a sloper for removing material from the face of the pile and a bucket wheel for removing material from in front and to the side of the reclaimer and a common conveyor receiving both streams of material. The sloper is carried by a tiltable boom which carries means for directing material which avoids the conveyor to a second means carried by the reclaimer which directs the material to the bucket wheel. The sloper is angled so that the top thereof leads the conveyor. The conveyor extends to the face of the stockpile and has a projecting edge associated therewith to seal into the stockpile. The second means also contours the slope of the stockpile below the sloper.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented March 21, 1972 33,650,370

6 Sheets-Shoot 1 I N VENT JR B ATTORNE Y5 Patented March 21, 1972 3,550,379

6 Sheets-Shut z Wed 2W2)? 3% z w ATTOkN/i YS Patented March 21, 1972 3,650,370

6 Shook-Shut 5 1' mi INVENTOR BY% 2 ATTORNEYS i INVENTOR- Byg i @MATTORNEYS 6 Shae ti-Shut 6 MATERIAL RECLAIMER CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION I This application is a division of my copending application U.S. Ser. No. 718,466, filed Apr. 3, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,595,371 and entitled Material Reclaimer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to material handling machines and more particularly to a machine for moving materials from a stockpile commonly identified as a reclaimer.

2. Prior Art Self-propelled machinery adapted to move material from a large material stockpile is known to the art. Such prior art machinery, including self-propelled frames having bucket wheels for removing material from in front of the main body of the machine and depositing it on a transverse conveyor belt, and having boom-supported slopers for removing material from the face of the stockpile above the main body of the machine and allowing it to fall onto the conveyor, are also known to the art. Certain disadvantages in the material pickup abilities of said prior art devices have evidenced themselves. It is the purpose of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages and thereby improve the prior art type reclaimers.

In the prior art reclaimers, as the machine moved forward generally parallel to the cut face of the stockpile, an auger dug a groove into the face of the stockpile in which groove the end of the conveyor belt projected. The sloper extended upwardly and outwardly from the end of the conveyor and dislodged material from the face of the stockpile so that it could then slide down the face onto the end of the conveyor. In the prior art reclaimers of this type, it was possible for material sliding down the face of the slope to avoid the end of the conveyor by sliding past it in the groove. Also, because of the projecting angle of the slope, the material had a tendency to avalanche as it came down the slope, resulting in deep ravines into the face of the stockpile. It was further possible for material to miss the conveyor belt and fall behind the reclaiming apparatus without being directed to the bucket wheel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a material handling device having a cross conveying means for receiving material from a digging wheel and including means on the conveyor to form a seal with a face of a stockpile to aid in catching material falling along the face of the stockpile on to the conveyor. The device further includes a crumber and mold board arrangement for shaping the lower surface of the face of the stockpile and to direct the material removed by shaping into the digging wheel to be lifted and deposited on the conveyor. In the preferred embodiment the device includes a sloper for cutting the face of the stockpile and has an auger for cutting a groove receiving an outboard end of the housing for the conveyor with the seal means being a wedge shaped projection on the end of the conveyor housing which projection cuts into the back surface of the groove.

Accordingly, it is then an object of this invention to provide a new and improved material handling machine for reclaiming stockpiled materials.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved reclaiming machine having means associated therewith to assure that substantially all of the material dislodged from the stockpile by the machine is directed to a conveying means for removal from the stockpile.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reclaimer having a sloper for dislodging material from the face of the stockpile and means to assure that substantially all of the dislodged material is directed to a conveyor belt for removal from the stockpile.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved reclaimer having a transverse conveyor for receiving the dislodged material, a seal at the end of the conveyor to direct the material dislodged by the sloper onto the conveyor and a mold board and crumber to assure that substantially all of dislodged material is eventually directed to the conveyor and to insure that the face of the stockpile is left in a desirably contoured shape after passage of the reclaimer.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my reclaimer;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic top view of the reclaimer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the improved crumber of my invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the digging wheelwith the crumber of FIG. 3 in position therebehind. I

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the bucket wheel and crumber area of the reclaimer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 taken from a different an- 8 FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the conveyor end seal of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic side illustration of the machine illustrating the tilt of the sloper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates generally a material handling device or reclaimer 10 for moving material from a stockpile. The reclaimer 10 is a self-propelled machine having a frame 11 mounted on a plurality of tractor crawlers 12. The machine consists basically of a sloper 13 including a supporting structure such as a boom for dislodging material from the face of a stockpile above the main body section, a digging or bucket wheel 14 for picking up material from in front of the main body section, and a conveyor belt 15 onto which the material from the bucket wheel 14 and the material dislodged by the sloper 13 is deposited. The conveyor belt 15 extends transverse of the main body of the machine and has an extension 15a which discharges the reclaimed material either into a truck or another conveyor system.

The reclaimer 10 is designed to move alongside a stockpile of material in a path generally parallel with a cut face of the stockpile dislodging and picking up the material therefrom. The machine is adapted to contour the face of the stockpile to a given slope thereby grooming it for another pass by the machine. It is to be understood that describing the machine as moving parallel to a cut face is to differentiate this reclaimer from the type of material handling machine which moves into a stockpile rather than across a face thereof.

As the machine moves past the face of the slope, an auger 16 mounted in front of the conveyor belt housing 17 cuts a groove in the face of the stockpile slope. The conveyor belt housing 17 extends into this groove. The sloper 13 consists of a boom 18 supported rotatable rod 19 from which projects a plurality of dislodging paddles 20. The rotation of the sloper l3 dislodges the material from the face of the stockpile, allowing it to run down the slope thereof to fall onto the end of the conveyor belt 15. The material from below the conveyor belt 15 is picked up by the rotating bucket wheel 14 which in turn deposits it on the conveyor 15 which runs transversely through the center of the bucket wheel. The boom 18 is mounted to the frame 11 on hinges 21 as illustrated in FIG. 5 and is tiltable at an angle transverse to the frame 11 thereby allowing the sloper 13 to produce substantially any desired angular slope of the stockpile face.

It is desirable that the face of the slope be completely groomed by the passing of the reclaimer 10. The angle of the slope chosen is dependent upon the material which is being reclaimed and other considerations. In order to further groom the slope, below the conveyor belt a crumber 22 is positioned grooming it. The crumber 22 further channels the material cut by the edge 23 into an area where it will be picked up by the bucket wheel 14. Additionally, a mold board 24 is affixed to the boom 18. The mold board 24 is also angled with respect to the frame and directs material coming down the face of the stockpile which misses the conveyor belt into the crumber 22. The mold board 24 also acts as a scraping edge to groom the face of the slope preventing a buildup of material thereon which has been dislodged from above. Because the mold board 24 is attached to the boom 18 the contour which it imparts to the face of the slope is dependent .upon the angle at which the boom is operating, thereby allowing a slope cut by the edge 23 of the crumber 22 to be carried out up the face of the stockpile at an angle which may be the same or different,

depending upon the positioning of the boom.

FIG. 3 illustrates the crumber 22. The crumber 22 has a side wall 26 adapted to run parallel to the face of the slope. Extending outwardly at an angle to the side wall 26 is a flange 27 which defines the cutting edge 23. The edge 23 terminates in a plow-like cutting point 28 which first cuts into the stockpile. A

backwall 29 acts as a guide to direct the material to an area behind the digging wheel. An attachment wall 30 extending downwardly from the back wall 29 acts as a bracketing wall for attaching the crumber 22 to the reclaimer 10. A second back wall 31 angling from the back wall 29 acts as a backstop. A side wall 32 further cooperates with the back wall 29 to direct material to the area behind the digger wheel.

As can be seen in FIGS. and 6, the crumber 22 is mounted at a double angle to the reclaimer 10. The side wall 26 angles upwardly, outwardly and backwardly from a point to the side of the bucket wheel below the conveyor belt end. Because of the outward angle, the face of the stockpile is contoured to the desired slope by the cutting edge 23. The backward angle allows the crumber 22 to extend in back of the conveyor belt end 17 to a point below the boom 18 with the wall 31 terminating approximately level with the bottom of the boom. In this manner, reclaimed material coming down the face of the slope which misses the conveyor belt falls into the crumber 22 where, because of the backward and inward angle of the wall 29, it is directed to the area of the bucket wheel in front of a backup crumber 33 which is arcuately curved to serve as a backup plate to the wheel area directly behind the bucket wheel 14. As can be seen from FIG. 5, support beams 34 extend out from the framework of the reclaimer to the back of the wall 29 near the outer edge thereof to buttress the crumber 22. The wall 30 can be attached to the frame 11 of the vehicle by means such as bolts, welding or the like.

Because the slope cut by the edge 23 into the face of the stockpile is fixed by the angle at which the crumber 22 extends outwardly while the slope which is cut by the sloper 13 is dependent upon the angle at which the boom is operating, it is possible that the crumber cut slope will be at a greater or lesser angle than the slope of the stockpile face above it. It can, however, be readily seen that the crumber 22 effectively assures that the face of the stockpile will be contoured and cut below the conveyor belt and that material moving down the face of the stockpile which misses the conveyor belt will be channeled through the crumber 22 to the backup crumber 33 and the area of the bucket wheel 14. Additional features found in the crumber 22 lie in the fact that it is braced from behind and that it is angled backwardly and upwardly. The backward and upward angle of the crumber presents a sloping cutting edge 23. This slope of the cutting edge reduces the drag of the crumber as it passes along the face of the slope. This is because the angled cutting edge lifts the material being cut as well as cutting it on a diagonal thereby allowing the material to be cut with less efi'ort. Further because the support beams 34 brace the crumber from the back thereof, the crumber is effectively pushed into the face of the stockpile slope. Of course because of the location of the braces behind the crumber it is not necessary to move the braces through either the uncut stockpile material or the material which has been loosened by the crumber. This also provides for a more secure method of attaching the crumber to the remainder of the reclaimer. I

As the reclaimer 10 moves across the face of the stockpile, the sloper 13 through the rotation of the rod 19 and the paddles 20 thereon, dislodges material from the face of the stockpile. This material then runs down the face of the stockpile by the force of gravity and by the angle cut by the sloper. The sloper extends upwardly from adjacent the leading edge of the conveyor belt 15. Therefore, the majority of the material cut by the sloper will drop onto the conveyor belt. It is, however, possible that some of the material dislodged will fall to the rear of the conveyor belt. In order to prevent this occurrence, it has been known in the prior art to have the leading upright column of the boom rest against the face of the cut slope thereby providing a backstop adjacent the trailing edge of the conveyor belt against which the dislodged material will strike, thereby channeling it down onto the conveyor belt area. However, it is still possible for dislodged material to overrun this leading upright column as well as it is possible for the column itself to dislodge further material by its passing. This material in the prior art devices could then slide down the face of the slope, missing the conveyor and the bucket wheel.

In the present invention, part of this material is recovered simply because the crumber 22 extends rearward of the conveyor belt and the leading upright column 35 of the boom. Therefore material falling between the back of the crumber 22 and the trailing edge of the conveyor is reclaimed by the crumber which directs it to the bucket wheel area. In order to insure that all of the dislodged material is directed to either the conveyor or the bucket wheel area, a mold board 24 is mounted on the boom 18. The mold board is an arcuately contoured chute which has an outer scraping edge 36 adapted to scrape the face of the stockpile. The mold board 24 extends across the boom from the trailing column 37 thereof to an area directly above the crumber 22. The mold board 24 is angled so that its trailing or upper end extends well above the end 17 of the conveyor belt. In this manner, as the reclaimer 10 moves across the face of the stockpile, any material dislodged by the sloper which would fall behind the crumber 22 is re-directed by the mold board into the crumber and thence, of course, into the bucket wheel area. The mold board 24 also serves the additional function of further contouring the slope.

In order to allow the material dislodged by the sloper 13 to fall directly onto the conveyor 15, as the reclaimer moves across the face of the stockpile, an auger 16 positioned immediately in front of the end 17 of the conveyor 15 forms a ledge in the face of the stockpile. The auger 16 has a diameter slightly greater than the height of the end 17. The ledge is created so that the conveyor, which of necessity has a height dimension at the end thereof to allow reversal of the endless belt, to be brought as close as possible to the angled face of the stockpile.

FIG. 7 illustrates the ledge and conveyor end. The ledge 40 formed by the auger 16 is cut into the face 41 of the stockpile 42 with a bottom wall 43 parallel to the ground and a back wall 44 extending at right angles thereto vertical to the ground. The ledge 40 may at times be cut into the face 41 to an extent great enough to produce a top wall which may thereafter crumble onto the conveyor. However, because the auger 16 extends out beyond the end face 45 of the end 17 of the conveyor housing, the conveyor housing never contacts the back wall 44. This provides a vertical channel 46 between the back wall 44 and the front wall 45 of the end of the conveyor housing. Combined with this is a space 47 below the end 17 of the conveyor housing and above the bottom wall 43 of the ledge 40. Material dislodged by the sloper 13 which slides The seal 48 consists, in a preferred embodiment, of a triangular-shaped projection extending outwardly from the end wall 45 of the end 17 of the conveyor housing. The point 49 of the seal 48 then projects into the stockpile 42 through the back wall 44 of the ledge 40. The top 50 of the seal 48 is coplanar with the top of the housing 17. Therefore, material running down the face 41 of the stockpile 42 is prevented by the seal from entering the space 46 of the ledge and is directed onto the conveyor belt 15. Because of the small axial height and pointedness of the seal 48, the drag created by its movement through the stockpile 42 is not great. It is of course to be understood that the seal could take the form simply of a planar projection of small axial height. It is also anticipated that the seal 48 can be doubly tapered having a shorter axial height at its leading edge to aid in cutting into the stockpile.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, the seal 48 extends across the entire width of the end 17 of the conveyor belt housing. In this manner, an effective continuous seal is obtained for the full width of the conveyor belt.

In the prior art reclaimers, the sloper has extended perpendicularly above the reclaimer at an angle to the side thereof. In this manner, the top and the bottom of the sloper lay in the same plane and the sloper dislodged a straight line of material as it moved across the face of the stockpile. In reclaiming relatively loose materials, as the material begins to slide down the pile, it tends to avalanche the loose material on the face of the pile. This can bring down greater quantities of material than would simply be dislodged by the action of the sloper. Further, because of the avalanche effect, the materials tend to erode themselves forming ravines into the face of the stockpile which may move the face back by as much as 20 or 30 feet. Not only does this provide uneven removal of material during the initial pass of the reclaimer across the face, but because of the ravines thereby created it becomes extremely difficult to create a continuous flow of material on subsequent passes.

In order to overcome this, I have angled the sloper on my reclaimer 10. The top of the sloper 51 projects in front of the bottom 52 thereof. The desired degree of projection depends upon the material being reclaimed and the length of the sloper.

The forward projection of the top 51 of the sloper 13 is illustrated in FIG. 8. The line 53 represents the greatest forward projection of the sloper cutters 20 at the bottom 52 of the sloper. The line 54 represents the greatest forward projection of the cutters 20 at the top 51 thereof. It is anticipated that the distance D between the lines 53 and 54 may vary dependent upon stockpile material from as little as 6 inches to as much as 6 feet. It is also to be noted that the line 53 is adjacent the leading edge 55 of the conveyor and is spaced just slightly behind it. In this manner, material dislodged by the bottom 50 of the sloper will fall to the conveyor belt. Although material dislodged by the top 51 of the sloper, which would fall in a vertical line therefrom, would miss the conveyor belt, this is provided for by the forward movement of the reclaimer 10. That is to say that by the time the material dislodged by the top 51 of the sloper has traversed the height of the stockpile to the point of the conveyor belt 15, the forward movement of the reclaimer will have brought the conveyor belt underneath the falling stream.

The angular lead of the sloper effectively prevents erosion of the face of the stockpile by causing the initially dislodged material to fall down the face of the slope over material which has not yet been dislodged by the sloper. Therefore, any initial start of erosion is stopped by the passing of the sloper over that point. In this manner, although erosion can still occur due to the falling of the dislodged material, it is immediately checked by the effect of the sloper passing over the point where the erosion is beginning to occur.

Angling the sloper forward also has the additional advantageous effect of compensating for the forward movement of the reclaimer 10 during operation. It is obvious that it takes a longer period of time for material dislodged at the top of the sloper to reach the level of the conveyor than for material dislodged by the bottom. This increased length of time can cause the material dislodged by the top of the sloper to miss the conveyor belt in that by the time it reaches the bottom of the sloper, the conveyor belt has moved past that point due to the forward movement of the reclaimer 10. As is discussed above,- this is now compensated for by dislodging the material at the top of the sloper prior to the time the conveyor belt reaches a point vertically below the dislodging point.

FIG. 2 illustrates the reclaimer 10 in a fragmentary birds eye view. The crawlers 12, the bucket wheel 14, the auger 16, and the sloper rod 19 as well as the other operating elements of the reclaimer 10 are all powered by an engine 55 carried by the frame 11. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the bucket wheel 14 is offset to one side of the main frame 11 of the reclaimer. This allows the bucket wheel area to be closely spaced to the foot of the stockpile slope. FIG. 2 also illustrates how the bottom .52 of the sloper is positioned above the leading edge 56 of the conveyor 15. This allows the sloper to contour the face of the stockpile and to dislodge material therefrom almost directly to the point where the auger l6 begins to cut into the face of the slope to prepare the ledge for the conveyor belt housing.

It can therefore be seen from the above that my invention provides for a new and improved reclaimer which is designed to insure the fact that the totality of the material dislodged by the sloper is directed to the conveyor belt either by falling directly thereonto or by channeling material which misses the conveyor to the bucket wheel area. The improved reclaimer alleviates the problems of avalanche and erosion and provides a method effectively contouring the slope in preparation of subsequent passes by the reclaimer.

Although I have herein set forth my invention will respect to certain specific principles and details thereof, it will be understood that these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a material handling machine adapted to reclaim material from a stockpile having a self propelled frame carrying a sloper to dislodge material from an upper portion of a face of the stockpile, a conveyor belt extending transversely to the frame terminating in close spaced relationship with the face of the stockpile below the sloper for receiving material dislodged by the sloper, the conveyor belt carried in a conveyor belt housing, and means for lifting material onto the conveyor belt, the improvements comprising a seal means extending from the end of the conveyor belt housing and adapted to project into the face of the stockpile to provide a seal between the end of the conveyor belt housing and the face of the stockpile for directing material on to the conveyor belt from the face of the stockpile and preventing material from sliding down the stockpile beyond the end of the conveyor belt housing, and

means disposed on said frame in a following relationship to the conveyor belt housing for contouring a lower portion of the face of the stockpile and directing the material removed therefrom into the means for lifting.

2. A material handling machine for reclaiming material from a stockpile while moving generally parallel to a face thereof comprising:

a frame including means for propelling said frame,

conveying means extending substantially transverse to said frame and extending beyond one side thereof for conveying material across said frame,

means for lifting material from below said conveying means and for depositing the lifted material onto the conveying means,

a sloper mounted on said frame and extending above said conveying means for dislodging material from a face of the stockpile above said conveying means so that it is deposited on said conveying means by the force of gravity,

said conveying means having a seal means on the projecting end for projecting into the face of the stockpile for directing material falling down the face of the stockpile onto said conveying means and preventing material from falling between the end of the conveying means and the face of the stockpile, and

means mounted on the frame in a following relationship to the conveying means for contouring a portion of the face of the stockpile extending beneath said sloper and for directing material removed by the contouring to the lifting means so that it is deposited on the conveying means.

3. A material handling device according to claim 2, wherein said conveying means includes a conveyor belt housing, and wherein said sealing means comprises a lip on the end of said conveyor belt housing projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to cut into the face of the stockpile.

4. A material handling device according to claim 3, wherein said lip has a wedge shape with the base thereof contacting the end of said conveyor belt housing and the pointed edge adapted to project into the face of the stockpile.

5. A material handling machine according to claim 4 wherein said lip is tapered in a longitudinal direction so as to reduce the drag caused by the sealing means cutting into the face of the stockpile.

6. A material handling machine according to claim 2, wherein said lifting means is a bucket wheel, and wherein said means for contouring includes a crumber carried by said frame adjacent said bucket wheel, said crumber having a side wall angled backwardly, upwardly and outwardly from a point in close spaced relation to the side of said bucket wheel below said conveying means to a point immediately below a boom supporting said sloper behind said conveying means, a cutting edge projecting from said side wall adapted to scrape the face of the stockpile dislodging material therefrom and contouring the face to a slope equal to the outward angle of said side wall, a back wall associated with said side wall effective to channel material dislodged by said cutting edge to said bucket wheel where it will be picked up thereby, and an upper end of said crumber adapted to receive material sliding down the face of the stockpile from a point above the upper end of said crumber, which material misses said conveying means.

7. A material handling device according to claim 6, wherein said cutting edge on said crumber includes a lip portion extending outwardly from said side wall.

8. A material handling device according to claim 6, wherein said means for contouring further includes a mold board mounted on the boom adjacent the bottom portion thereof, said mold board adapted to scrape the face of the stockpile and contouring it to an angle dependent upon the operating angle of Y the boom, said mold board channeling material dislodged by it and material moving down the face of the stockpile to said crumber and said mold board mounted at an angle with its'upper end trailing its lower end.

9. In a material handling machine adapted to reclaim material from a stockpile having a self propelled frame carrying a sloper to dislodge material from an upper portion of a face of the stockpile and a digging wheel for digging into a lower portion of the face, a conveyor means extending transversely to the frame terminating in close spaced relationship with the face of the stockpile below the sloper for receiving material dislodged by the sloper, and material dug by the digging wheel the improvements comprising a seal means extending from the end of the conveyor means and adapted to project into the face of the stockpile to provide a seal between the end of the conveyor means and the face of the stockpile for directing material on to the conveyor means and preventing material from sliding down the stockpile beyond the end of the conveyor means, and means disposed on said frame in a following relationship to the conveyor means for contouring a lower portion of the face of the stockpile and directing the material removed therefrom into the digging wheel, said seal means and last mentioned means coactmg to direct all material removed from the face on to the conveyor means and into the digging wheel.

10. In a material handling device according to claim 9, wherein said means for contouring includes a crumber having a side wall angled backwardly, upwardly and outwardly from a point adjacent an outer side of the digging wheel, and below the conveyor means, said side wall having a cutting edge adapted to scrape the base of the stockpile to dislodge material therefrom, and direct material moving on the face into the crumber to be channeled to the digging wheel for lifting onto the conveying means. 

1. In a material handling machine adapted to reclaim material from a stockpile having a self propelled frame carrying a sloper to dislodge material from an upper portion of a face of the stockpile, a conveyor belt extending transversely to the frame terminating in close spaced relationship with the face of the stockpile below the sloper for receiving material dislodged by the sloper, the conveyor belt carried in a conveyor belt housing, and means for lifting material onto the conveyor belt, the improvements comprising a seal means extending from the end of the conveyor belt housing and adapted to project into the face of the stockpile to provide a seal between the end of the conveyor belt housing and the face of the stockpile for directing material on to the conveyor belt from the face of the stockpile and preventing material from sliding down the stockpile beyond the end of the conveyor belt housing, and means disposed on said frame in a following relationship to the conveyor belt housing for contouring a lower portion of the face of the stockpile and directing the material removed therefrom into the means for lifting.
 2. A material handling machine for reclaiming material from a stockpile while moving generally parallel to a face thereof comprising: a frame including means for propelling said frame, conveying means extending substantially transverse to said frame and extending beyond one side thereof for conveying material across said frame, means for lifting material from below said conveying means and for depositing the lifted material onto the conveying means, a sloper mounted on said frame and extending above said conveying means for dislodging material from a face of the stockpile above said conveying means so that it is deposited on said conveying means by the force of gravity, said conveying means having a seal means on the projecting end for projecting into the face of the stockpile for directing material falling down the face of the stockpile onto said conveying means and preventing material from falling between the end of the conveying means and the face of the stockpile, and means mounted on the frame in a following relationship to the conveying means for contouring a portion of the face of the stockpile extending beneath said sloper and for directing material removed by the contouring to the lifting means so that it is deposited on the conveying means.
 3. A material handling device according to claim 2, wherein said conveying means includes a conveyor belt housing, and wherein said sealing means comprises a lip on the end of said conveyor belt housing projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to cut into the face of the stockpile.
 4. A material handling device according to claim 3, wherein said lip has a wedge shape with the base thereof contacting the end of said conveyor belt housing and the pointed edge adapted to project into the face of the stockpile.
 5. A material handling machine according to claim 4 wherein said lip is tapered in a longitudinal direction so as to reduce the drag caused by the sealing means cutting into the face of the stockpile.
 6. A material handling machine according to claim 2, wherein said lifting means is a bucket wheel, and wherein said means for contouring includes a crumber carried by said frame adjacent said bucket wheel, said crumber having a side wall angled backwardly, upwardly and outwardly from a point in close spaced relation to the side of said bucket wheel below said conveying means to a point immediately below a boom supporting said sloper behind said conveying means, a cutting edge projecting from said side wall adapted to scrape tHe face of the stockpile dislodging material therefrom and contouring the face to a slope equal to the outward angle of said side wall, a back wall associated with said side wall effective to channel material dislodged by said cutting edge to said bucket wheel where it will be picked up thereby, and an upper end of said crumber adapted to receive material sliding down the face of the stockpile from a point above the upper end of said crumber, which material misses said conveying means.
 7. A material handling device according to claim 6, wherein said cutting edge on said crumber includes a lip portion extending outwardly from said side wall.
 8. A material handling device according to claim 6, wherein said means for contouring further includes a mold board mounted on the boom adjacent the bottom portion thereof, said mold board adapted to scrape the face of the stockpile and contouring it to an angle dependent upon the operating angle of the boom, said mold board channeling material dislodged by it and material moving down the face of the stockpile to said crumber and said mold board mounted at an angle with its upper end trailing its lower end.
 9. In a material handling machine adapted to reclaim material from a stockpile having a self propelled frame carrying a sloper to dislodge material from an upper portion of a face of the stockpile and a digging wheel for digging into a lower portion of the face, a conveyor means extending transversely to the frame terminating in close spaced relationship with the face of the stockpile below the sloper for receiving material dislodged by the sloper, and material dug by the digging wheel the improvements comprising a seal means extending from the end of the conveyor means and adapted to project into the face of the stockpile to provide a seal between the end of the conveyor means and the face of the stockpile for directing material on to the conveyor means and preventing material from sliding down the stockpile beyond the end of the conveyor means, and means disposed on said frame in a following relationship to the conveyor means for contouring a lower portion of the face of the stockpile and directing the material removed therefrom into the digging wheel, said seal means and last mentioned means coacting to direct all material removed from the face on to the conveyor means and into the digging wheel.
 10. In a material handling device according to claim 9, wherein said means for contouring includes a crumber having a side wall angled backwardly, upwardly and outwardly from a point adjacent an outer side of the digging wheel, and below the conveyor means, said side wall having a cutting edge adapted to scrape the base of the stockpile to dislodge material therefrom, and direct material moving on the face into the crumber to be channeled to the digging wheel for lifting onto the conveying means. 